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The pacifist from Hiroshima rebuilding Japan’s defences

The pacifist from Hiroshima rebuilding Japan’s defences

Doubling down on a security agenda that hawkish former leader Shinzo Abe could only dream of, Fumio Kishida is increasing military spending and concentrating on security pacts.

Michael SmithHealth editor

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Hiroshima, Japan | In Fumio Kishida’s hometown of Hiroshima, the reminder of the horrors of war are everywhere.

There are no structures in the city’s centre built before 1945, when a US atomic bomb levelled the metropolis and killed 140,000 people. The skeletal ruins of the only building left standing, a domed former industrial hall, has become an eerie monument to the devastating attack on Japan that helped end World War II.

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Michael Smith
Michael SmithHealth editorMichael Smith is the health editor for The Australian Financial Review. He is based in Sydney. Connect with Michael on Twitter. Email Michael at michael.smith@afr.com

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Original URL: https://www.afr.com/world/asia/the-pacifist-liberal-from-hiroshima-rebuilding-japan-s-defences-20230518-p5d9ij